Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community – Competencies 1 - 4
Competency 1 Area:
The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.
I believe this is one of the most important competency areas because it affects all the other competencies to a great degree. I have learned that the ethics integrity and fairness of a school administrator largely impact the decisions made in all other areas of school leadership.
One of the first activities I completed was identifying ethical principles that other leaders and I thought were imperative for a superintendent to possess. I interviewed a former superintendent as well as my current superintendent who is also my site supervisor. I also examined a superintendent job description and an evaluation tool that either directly or indirectly spoke of the moral code that the superintendent should hold in order to fulfill the role as the district educational leader. Finally, an activity that brought the ethical principles to a personal level for me was examining my own ability to require of myself anything I require of my staff.
The ethical principles that were consistently spoken of include loyalty, trust, honesty, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness (often describes as impartiality), respect of others’ rights and autonomy, law-abiding, moral, and service-oriented. My site supervisor summed up many of these characteristics when he gave me the advice to “Treat others the way that I would want to be treated.” I learned not only that I must model and promote these standards of conduct, but I must at times verbalize or state in print the expectations that I have of my staff doing the same. One of the things I had to teach new teachers and student teachers that I was supervising this past fall is that their conduct is viewed and scrutinized by members of the community and by the students we serve, so their actions should reflect the ethical principles that have been previously mentioned. The experience of compiling this collection of principles along with the practice of modeling them and then teaching them to beginning teachers helped prepare me to be attentive to ethical guidelines in a proactive rather than reactive manner. Not only do I practice these guidelines, but I must monitor these practices by others.
As we look at the impact of ethics upon the daily educational process, I see that fairness plays a huge role in the decisions made for children and for the framework of the programs planned for them. I feel that I was strong in this competency prior to the internship activities; however now I have a deeper understanding for the need of upholding these values as I advocate for students and as I make sure policies and procedures are befitting the children and also are compliant with laws.
Another lesson I learned through these activities and my job responsibilities is the need to stay up-to-date with the laws so that decisions are continually made according to them. This year, some of the special education laws and food service laws have changed for example. If the superintendent is unaware of these changes, it would be easy to be out of compliance. A superintendent should surround herself with good leaders as well that are also knowledgeable of laws and their changes.
I believe this competency is an area of strength for me. As stated above, I was relatively proficient in this area from the beginning, but now I feel I am equipped to maintain the level of ethics and responsibility that the role of district leader demands and I am also prepared to teach these values to my staff. I have learned that this area of the superintendency is non-negotiable. My site supervisor often reminds our staff that we want to only have our name(s) or the name of our school in the headlines for positive accomplishments. Ethical behavior will help achieve this goal.
Competency 2 Area:
The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.
In this area, I grew a lot concerning the ability to recognize and articulate a shared vision and to accomplish tasks that support the shared vision of the district. I learned that having and strategically planning for a vision is taking a big risk in the educational community. In the beginning self-assessment, I scored competent or in need of improvement on most indicators; therefore I placed effort into strengthening this competency by choosing a number of activities from this area.
The first activity I chose was to examine a variety of district vision and mission statements. I found everything from short statements that were more like mottos to long, descriptive statements that were hard to understand and clearly communicate to the public. I learned that a few clear and concise statements that are easily transferred to actions is the most desirable way to write a vision statement. I also feel this should be written collaboratively with staff and administrators and approved by the board of trustees. It is the responsibility of the superintendent and the trustees to assure that the vision is reflective of the needs and culture of the community. Although I have been knowledgeable of our vision statement prior to the activities for this competency, I learned that it is imperative that as the superintendent, I must have this vision ingrained in every decision I make and that this vision is also clearly communicated with all constituents by all staff members. I would like to know that every staff member in my school would be able to recite our vision statement if asked to do so and that they too, would use that statement as a starting point for all activities and decisions that they make.
Characteristics of a good vision include high expectations, focus on teaching and learning and ensured success for all students. Some of the statements I viewed were lacking in some of these critical areas. In an activity that included reading about educational vision, I learned that trust is a key component in the realization of vision. Trust in and by all stakeholders will be evident when a good vision statement is followed.
Other activities I chose in this area generally required support and shared the vision of the district. I engaged in opening and closing of the school year, which are both times that vision is articulated to parents and the community either through actions or in writing. I reviewed our student handbook that includes our vision statement and made suggestions for changes in policies so that they are closer aligned with our district vision. Meetings with the site-based committee and the board of trustees also were necessary for me to learn more ways to support the district vision and culture. In these meetings it is necessary for the superintendent to facilitate the use of resources that reflect our district’s vision. This is sometimes a daunting task as many factors come in to play when allocating funds and other resources.
My strength in this area will help me improve my school by taking risks to collaboratively write a vision statement that will not only fill space in the student handbook, but will become an ingrained way of thinking and acting by all school employees. This is important because if this is not voiced and otherwise well communicated, employees could lose sight of the reason that we do the difficult tasks that are day to day school activities. A common goal unifies staff and in turn, raises morale. This adherence to the vision’s purpose in turn contributes to the success of the students which is our ultimate goal.
Competency 3 Area:
The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.
During my internship, I have learned that communication is one of the most essential skills a leader must possess. It is imperative that a leader communicates clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences in a variety of ways. The activities in which I participated and the job experiences in which I am involved have been valuable to me as I have grown tremendously in this area. In the pre-assessment I generally considered myself competent and now I feel I am able to communicate and collaborate with various groups with knowledge and confidence. Listening, a vital part of communication is so important to the culture of the school and community that I have made it a point to improve on this in my professional and personal life. I already see the difference it is making especially in the rapport I have with my teachers and students.
The first activity I chose was to lead a faculty meeting and ask for feedback from my teachers concerning my communication abilities. The strong point of the meeting dealing with communication was communication I put into writing. Each year, I make notebooks for my teachers with pertinent information. They like having policies and procedures in a written form that could be referenced throughout the school year. My speaking style is realistic and humorous which was mentioned as a strength. Teachers felt I had addressed the needed areas thoroughly and that new teachers understood the general message of the meeting due to the clarity of my communication skills. This was very beneficial to my communication growth to have this feedback. Other activities that I conducted to improve communication skills included meeting with the Site Based Committee, the SHAC committee and of course meeting personally with teachers during evaluation conferences and meetings concerning students. I routinely attend and lead ARD meetings as well. I feel strongly that I can be articulate and effective as a communicator as I work with diverse groups and as I partner with these groups to strengthen programs and support district goals.
Another activity I found beneficial in strengthening my abilities in this particular competency was to identify interpersonal skills that I feel I need to improve upon and work on doing so throughout the school year. The skills I chose to develop include avoiding interrupting others while speaking, acknowledging accomplishments of others, seeking to know and understand others and sharing of responsibilities. I have had numerous opportunities to work on these skills and I feel I have grown in these areas. This year, I have three female colleagues that are going through difficult times in their marriages. While these problems are not school related, they have all come to me at one time or another to discuss their feelings. I think I have been a good listener, have held confidences and have understood their situations. And again, the skill of being a good listener was incorporated into these experiences.
This competency also addressed using conflict management skills. I have learned that conflicts are inevitable in the school business. I chose an activity to reflect upon a situation where there was conflict between a teacher and a parent. Using the conflict resolution skills described in the internship textbook, I feel I learned that many times resolutions come when voices have really been heard and when all parties have the ultimate goal in common. In this situation, this was the case and a resolution was made and all parties were satisfied that the needs of the child were met. I feel strongly that I can incorporate what I have learned here and in other conflicts I have faced and advocate for children, aid in consensus building, and can be proactive in preventing major conflicts.
I have also learned through work in this competency the importance of having an accurate perception of the view the community has of the school and the staff. I learned that we often perceive ourselves and our organization differently than others. We have a large group of parents and community members that view the school in a positive way and they share those feelings with others inside and outside the school. This seems to be the majority opinion. On the other hand, I have learned through social media, meetings with disgruntled parents, and by visiting with my superintendent about conflicts and concerns that there is a faction of the community that are not supportive nor do they speak highly of the school. As Dr. Creel mentioned in our web conference, as the superintendent, I have to be willing to face the fact that there will be negative criticism of the school, me, and possibly my family. These areas are not to be dwelt upon, yet when an opportunity arises to share positive experiences and the vision of the school, those opportunities should be taken.
Competency 4 Area:
The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.
This competency is very intertwined with other competencies. I learned that in order to have influence in larger systems and in working with the board of trustees, it is necessary to be able to articulate vision and goals effectively as well as to have knowledge of the perception of the school throughout the larger community.
I attended several school board meetings during the year. My superintendent does not require me to be present at each meeting; however I have attended many throughout my tenure as principal, thus I have seen how different boards have responded and adhered to district goals and vision. During these meetings I have been asked to problem solve and to help make some decisions. I have also observed roles and responsibilities of the superintendent and the board at these meetings. The mutual respect they have is a great example for me. I value the opportunity to work with this board in my present capacity and aspire to work as cohesively with a board as a superintendent in the future.
The collaboration experience has been very helpful as it has strengthened my self confidence in the areas where I may work with other groups such as political or community organizations. During this year I have worked closely with our community center that maintains a well-organized food pantry. An example of our collaboration is the “Sacks of Love” project. We identified families that have a need for additional food on the weekends. Those families receive a bag of food provided by the food pantry and distributed on Friday afternoons by the school. By meeting these students’ basic needs, we are improving their health and home situations that will hopefully spill over into their educational needs. I have also recently been selected to serve on a county wide committee that distributes school supplies to needy students in the area. I serve on this committee with church and community leaders, social workers and community volunteers. This endeavor is great as we are attempting to raise over $30,000 to provide these needed supplies. Because this committee is organized and led by someone other than myself, I am able to observe other leadership and communication styles. The leader has a different approach than I; however this has allowed me to consider other options in dealing with varied groups. Her style is successful, therefore I am learning that there is no one correct way to communicate and organize.
I have also worked closely with my Special Education teacher and our Diagnostician to ensure that we are in compliance with state and national standards, specifically IDEA. We maintain highly qualified teachers to instruct our special education students and we are very diligent in ARDC meetings when we make decisions for these students. Together we make certain that the student has an appropriate Individual Education Plan (IEP) and that he or she will participate in fitting assessments. I have done an abundant amount of reading in the area of Special Education requirements and law and I have learned that this is an area that every person involved with special education children should be trained. Superintendents especially should stay informed of the current laws, not only for the good of the child, but to keep the district in compliance and out of the court house.
The work I did in this competency was not always in my comfort zone. I moved from a feeling that I needed much improvement to a feeling that I can handle situations associated with this competency. I feel I have greatly improved and am more prepared to meet the challenges of the superintendency due to the activities in which I was involved.
DOMAIN II—INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 5 - 7
Competency 5 Area:
The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.
In this area, I felt I needed improvement as I was not as prepared to use the current accountability system to assess student needs and ensure that the curriculum we were utilizing was the best for our students. Upon examination of the curriculum we implemented, many of the departments and individual teachers were using a kind of “hit or miss” strategy. I felt as the elementary instructional leader that I should be more aware of our needs and make necessary changes.
At the beginning of the school year, the secondary principal, the superintendent and I analyzed assessment results and concluded that some changes should be made. We had adopted CSCOPE as our curriculum to follow two years prior, yet had not required all teachers to use it in all core subjects. This year, we made that decision in hopes of aligning curriculum to improve learning opportunities for our students. In doing so, we scrutinized CSCOPE and the way in which we were requiring our teachers to implement it so that we met all state and federal guidelines. CSCOPE, if used in its purest form is sequential and requires a higher level of critical thinking. It also ensures that the methods of instruction meet needs of all students and is rigorous and engaging. So far, we have seen both positive and negative results using this program. A negative aspect is that CSCOPE is designed so that the students build upon prior knowledge that they may have only experienced if they had experienced lessons and vocabulary from prior years’ CSCOPE lessons. Our teachers have had to fill this gap by utilizing tutorials and more in-depth lessons. This move to using CSCOPE in all core subjects has also required the teachers in testing grades to scrutinize testing results and to trust the sound practices here. CSCOPE is research based and students in other districts have been successful that have been taught with its methods, scope and sequence. I am sure we will look at this again at the end of the year as test scores and other student assessment data is received.
Another activity in which I am involved is facilitating the integration of technology into our school by assisting in the decision to place Mimio boards (also known as smart boards or white boards) in our elementary classrooms. The first boards were placed in classrooms of teachers that taught core subjects in the testing grades. We have since placed boards in the classrooms of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and second grade teachers. I surveyed the teachers that use the boards concerning how they affect motivation, learning, special education students and grades. I have also visited the classrooms numerous times as they are using the boards. I have learned that they are very motivating, especially to the younger students. They all feel as if they are playing a game when they are learning. The older students use the boards for interactive learning in all subjects and many of the activities are cross-curricular. The teachers reported to me that the students are more attentive and that their grades are commonly higher in classes where the boards are used. Teachers of special education students find that the boards are useful in teaching to a variety of learning styles.
The activities in this competency have taught me to be as observant as possible concerning curriculum and assessment. Scrutinizing both these areas is imperative for increased student performance.
Competency 6 Area:
The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
This competency is also an area that is so intertwined with other areas that it is difficult to separate the ideas and lessons learned. Fortunately as a superintendent, learning to accomplish the tasks related to the intermingled competencies will only serve to make the application of the learned skills easier. I recognize that I have grown in the role of an instructional leader that promotes the learning culture of the district. In the first assessment I felt I was competent in many areas and needed improvement in some; however I now consider this an area that I feel strength in leading.
The activity that I spent a lot of time on and consider it one to attribute much of my growth is the creation of a professional development plan. This plan is not only for me, but for other staff members in the district. In my present position as principal, I have had experience providing presentations and planning professional development for our faculty. I have learned that teachers and other staff members are willing to attend workshops and training if it is relevant to their needs. I usually have conversations with teachers before they register or make plans to attend professional development so that we might assess the needs and confirm that the day(s) will be spent productively. As an example, I recently had one of my newer teachers that will have an autistic child in her classroom next year come to me for advice on preparing herself for this student. Together we found that our ESC offers autism training soon and I was able to authorize two days leave for her this spring to attend the training. This idea also parallels our vision as we strive to be life-long learners as well as strive to educate all children in the best possible way.
Other activities that helped me to become proficient in this area are developing class schedules that make the best use of learning and teaching patterns, surveying teachers to help me to understand motivational techniques used so that students are highly engaged in rigorous activities, examining the discipline policy to assure that equity is in place when dealing with disruptions and analyzing these practices to see if they are congruent with learning in the classroom. I learned that in scheduling, there are many dynamics involved. I likened it to putting a puzzle together. When viewing this activity through the eyes of a superintendent rather than a building principal, it seems almost overwhelming. The superintendent must see the big picture and may not be actually putting together class schedules, but he or she needs to understand the implications that scheduling has on the learning process and must deliberately offer courses that are aligned with the culture and vision of the district. I also learned that the superintendent must continually monitor discipline and recognize patterns of student behavior that is detrimental to the school environment. I also see that what motivates some students may not motivate others at all. Motivational strategies must be reasonable and practical and many times individualized for particular students. I have learned through my personal experiences as a principal and through readings I have done that we can sometimes overdo rewards. It is my belief that intrinsic motivation is the best reward, but is the hardest to satisfy.
At the beginning of the school year, our district diagnostician and I held a meeting with all district teachers to present information in the area of special education modifications. With this being the first year for the STAAR assessment in most grades, some of this is new information. It was and remains important to me to maintain special programs that reach each individual student. I feel much stronger in this area because of co-leading this presentation.
I also gained knowledge in the area of disaggregating assessment data this year through my job experience. Our school strives to better our AEIS status, but most importantly we strive to improve student learning. We made changes to the use of curriculum so that we might attain these improvement goals. These changes were only made after we studied the assessment data and determined where we should make improvements. We found resources available and began using those more effectively in order to ensure student success. Other factors we considered were diversity of the population, developmental concerns and the environment that was most conducive to learning by all students. This was not an easy task and I learned early on that change is not always welcomed by teachers , especially if they have experienced some degree of success using older methods.
Competency 7 Area:
The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.
This is an area that I saw the least amount of change when I did my post assessment. Some of the duties as a building principal are assessing needs for staff development, evaluating and supervising staff. I felt fairly competent in this area from the beginning but as I engaged in learning opportunities, I saw improvement.
As stated in other competencies, I developed an extensive staff development plan for my district. I assessed needs both formally through a needs assessment and by examining student assessment data, and informally through conversations with staff members.
There was need for many of my teachers to have additional CSCOPE training. Some of that training was done by lead teachers and administrators, while other training was done at our ESC. Upon completion of training, I asked that my teachers bring back any new knowledge and share it with their partner teachers or expand that to other grade levels. I planned this in order to enhance the learning and to expand the expertise of all teachers.
Along with CSCOPE training and a Special Education modification presentation, I trained teachers informally in areas of technology use, PDAS, classroom management, ARDC practices and writing district and campus plans. These experiences help me better understand the content myself and help me build confidence and trust among my teaching staff. I have learned that if you give a staff member a part of your time, they are appreciative and will remain loyal employees. This loyalty and skills learned during training spreads to the classroom and makes more effective and caring teachers.
In our district, there is little need for recruitment of teachers and staff. We are a small rural district with a reputation for being a great place to work. I agree with this perception of our school. We have little turnover; however we had openings this year so I participated in the hiring process by interviewing prospects and inducting and evaluating the teachers that were hired. I have participated in the PDAS as an appraiser for the past six years and have used other systems to evaluate instructional aides and assistants. I use these times of observation and evaluation as a way to encourage my teachers if this is possible. Most of my teachers are doing excellent jobs, so they are easy to evaluate and encourage. At the times when a teacher needs improvement in some areas, I attempt to use the evaluation process as a teaching tool to help that teacher become better.
An activity that complemented this competency was the interview of a retired superintendent that now lives in the area. Some of his tenure was before we did formal appraisals, yet he gave me some good advice for observing my teachers and implementing evaluations. He too did most of his school leadership in administration in small districts. He advised me to be present on campus, not to hide away in the office or get bogged down with paperwork during the school day. This model of observation shows the teachers that you are available and always observing both their teaching and the children’s learning and behavior. He also advised me to be present at after school events that involved teachers as well as students. PTO meetings, little league baseball games, church and community gatherings are all opportunities to build rapport with parents and teachers and to show them that you care about them. He added that he was not sure that this improved job performance, but he knew it showed the community that the superintendent was involved in area activities. This was one of the most enjoyable activities I have been a part of as I relished the conversation held with a wise and caring man that has given many years to the field of education.
DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10
Competency 8 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.
Clearly this competency was the most challenging for me and one in which I actually wanted to stay away when it involved the financial areas. However the objective of this program is to help me in areas where I feel deficient, so I attempted to learn as much as possible about school budget and financial management. I made great strides in understanding the language and concepts that go along with the financial management role of a superintendent and I learned that it is not as difficult as I first thought. As with many of the skills, I learned and have been told that a superintendent will not really be able to fully understand school finance until he or she has gone through the budgeting process and managed a school in that capacity. I feel stronger in my abilities to utilize resources, manage personnel and in technology application which are all skills that are also covered in this area.
At the beginning of the school year, my site supervisor began sharing elements of the budget process with me. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but later I began to put the pieces together when I saw the big picture clearer. At this time, I was involved in collaborating with the board of trustees to a small degree and I was also allowed to observe and converse with the auditors to learn about the auditing process.
As a principal I have had some experience with handling my own campus budget, purchasing and keeping financial records. The dealing with the budget is minimal as we are a small school and the superintendent maintains those activities for the most part. I have learned that in these tighter economic times that it is even more important to prioritize expenditures and to make sure the school as a whole realizes that purchases must align with the school’s goals and vision.
I have become more adept at evaluating personnel because of the things I have learned in my internship as well. I have looked at all teacher evaluations and noted any common threads in deficiencies and in strengths. I noted that I have some teachers that would be a great resource as trainers of newer teachers and have attempted to pair them together to help them take care of situations involving policies and procedures that do not require my decisions. I also noted that professional development using CSCOPE was needed and have urged the teachers identified to attend training. Managing personnel is not a difficult task in my school, but it cannot be overlooked as an aspiring superintendent.
I am still in a position of learning about managing my time and the time of my staff. The rigorous course work involved in the internship program and the demands of a job and family have forced me to manage my time better. I do not procrastinate nearly as much as before and I delegate tasks at work that can be done as effectively by someone else. Some of the actions I have incorporated in my job are to take detailed notes, write to-do lists and if a task comes up that can be handled immediately, do it immediately. I learned early on in my principalship that I will be interrupted about every ten minutes if I am at my desk working. This requires focus, concentration, flexibility and the ability to determine between emergencies and non-emergencies.
The use of technology is another area in which I have grown. We placed the Mimio boards in classrooms, began using ipads for special education students and have incorporated computer software in many of the classrooms to enhance learning. I work closely with the technology director of my school to make sure computers are maintained and that we are utilizing all our technology resources. I enjoy this aspect of the job and am eager to learn as much as I can about using technology in administration areas.
Competency 9 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.
The area of safety and providing an effective learning environment is one in which I felt was a strength in the pre-assessment. I now know that there are many guidelines and laws that I was unaware. After looking at the building and grounds through the eyes of the superintendent, I have seen areas on my own campus that need improvement. I felt very competent at the beginning of these courses in managing construction or maintaining the physical plant aspect of the superintendent’s role. I believe I have strengthened these skills as I have worked alongside many of the key people in this area.
One of the assignments in which we were required to do involved using checklists from national safety standards to assess various aspects of our own school. This assignment was detailed and I was surprised at some of my findings. Our campus includes buildings from a variety of time periods. One would assume that the later built buildings would be more compliant with current laws; however this was not always the case. Structures that were built in the 1940’s were more compliant in the area of class sizes and sound structure than buildings that were constructed two or three decades later. Our newest buildings were the most compliant; however this structure, an auditorium, does not include classrooms. Comparing these buildings was an eye-opener and taught me not to assume that all construction jobs are compliant with current laws.
One of my activities required me to assess the bus routes. This again was a time consuming yet rewarding experience. I learned that due to new students that were not planned for in the beginning that two of our bus routes needed adjusting and re-routing. I discussed this with the secondary principal and the affected bus drivers and we came to a conclusion to alter the routes. This required a few students to change buses, which I hoped to avoid, but resulted in more efficient bus scheduling. Learning that additional passengers and new stops obviously affect the routes is helpful as I pursue a superintendent position. I also learned that one of the hats a superintendent of small schools wears is that of transportation director.
I also took a close look at the food services department and checked for compliance or non-compliance issues. Food services are closely scrutinized by our superintendent with help from our ESC. I found that we were doing well in most areas and that we are looking ahead toward changes that are planned for the future.
One of the most important areas of this competency is ensuring safety and an effective learning environment. The superintendent must make sure an emergency plan is in place for several types of crisis. In our area natural emergencies are usually heavy thunderstorms, tornadoes or fire. We have plans in place for all of these and as is required we practice fire and tornado drills with all our students. We also have emergency plans for events that would require us to evacuate the building such as gas leaks and power outages. In recent years we have been involved in writing plans for lockdowns in case of threatening intruders. Although looking over these emergency plans were not specific activities for my internship plan, they were activities that I was involved in for my job and that I learned from.
I had conversations with our maintenance director and observed him working for short periods of time. This taught me that there are many areas that require repairs and maintenance that I may not have thought of before. He is very skilled and does a wide range of jobs from changing air filters to repairing school buses. I also learned that there is a great deal of money required for maintaining buildings and modes of transportation.
Competency 10 Area:
The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.
In the pre-assessment I felt competent to apply these skills to comply with federal and state requirements and to facilitate positive change. I felt as if I needed much improvement to use political influences to positively benefit education. I feel stronger in all of these areas and am moving toward making this a strength. This is a challenging competency for me and has been a great learning experience as I participated in assignments, intern activities and experiences related to my job.
I learned that leadership sometimes means learning how to assert power and authority in positive ways. Sometimes the decision making is done by the leader and sometimes it is a collaborative process and it takes a good, experienced leader to know by which means the decisions are best made.
Some of the activities I chose to do were collecting and assessing testing data, surveying teachers and staff to gain their opinions of which decisions should be made collaboratively, I reviewed board policy and discipline policy, and viewed suggested readings and websites concerning problem-solving, decision making, and federal and state policies for a variety of issues. An assignment that proved helpful in the area of decision making was developing the professional development plan for my school.
One of the basic understandings that came from these experiences is understanding that in all institutions there is going to be conflict that requires decision making, conflict resolution and /or common sense. Collecting data and assessing needs from that data is a fairly clear-cut situation in which resolutions are clear and accepted by the group. However, gray areas such as policies and decision-making will generally have at least two opinions of what should be done or said. I have learned that using a collective vision and communicating what is important will advance resolution when there are conflicts. Another important lesson I learned is that being a superintendent requires a lot of decision making, therefore, the superintendent must know where he or she stands on a variety of issues. Our internship has required us to reflect on our learning. I believe reflection is important here as the superintendent must make decisions based upon his or her stance concerning the issue. Law, regulations and simply what is best for children also play large roles when the superintendent has decisions to make.
Facilitating change is another challenging area of this competency. I have learned that this is difficult and the leader should be informed about the kind of change needed and the theory behind that change. A good leader will ensure that planning, evaluation and adequate resources are available before presenting the change . Promoting change often promotes conflict as well. I have learned from my own school-related experiences that there is always someone that does not want to change and will make it known to the others. This is not a good time for the leader to become dictatorial. Change is best accepted if the stakeholders accept it as their own. A leader can reduce or prepare for resistance by involving others in the value of the change and in recognizing the burdens of those that object. An example of this is when our district administrators decided to make using CSCOPE across all core curriculum areas mandatory. As a leader, I recognized the burden that this put on the teachers and offered ways to help with clerical tasks and offered professional development for those that needed or wanted it. We are still facing some resistance, but as good results are being shared, the opposition is becoming less vocal. I also learned that leaders should not change something just for the sake of change. The change should reflect the vision and goals of the district or it is not worth the conflicts that will surely arise.
